Tapino

I just got home tonight from one of my favorite places in the world; Tapinos!  This amazing Tapas bar in Scottsdale Arizona has some of the best food I've ever had; and the best part is, if you go between 5 and 7 any day they're open, every kind of tapas they have, are on sale for just $5.00!!!  That's my kind of happy hour!!

They have a large, open air section to the restaurant that I highly recommend.  The floor is painted deep red, and there are plush white sofas to sit on; then the area is enclosed in white fabric, but loosely so the breeze can blow.  The ceiling is also draped in white fabric, with red lights under it, so the red lights glow through.  As the night falls, the red glow deepens.  The great mix of various ethnic styles of music transport you to Bangkok, Morocco, India, and beyond.

Each tapas dish is great to share with someone else, and depending on how many you get, sometimes you can share with a third.  Each of the dishes is very unique and very delicious!! What makes this place so amazing is the combination of flavors and the bizarre mix of ingredients they put together, and how amazing it always turns out; for instance some of our favorites are as follows:

1.  Crispy goat cheese with toasted pistachios, lavender honey, & sweet balsamic, topped with dried apple slices.  (We get this one every time!)

2.  Baked oysters stuffed with roasted fennel, pernod, & creamy brie

3. Seared bay scallops with coconut Thai curry, sour apple relish, & crispy lotus root

They also always have a batch of "globally inspired soups"; one kind each day.  The last time we went it was the most amazing gazpacho I've ever had; tonight?  Believe it or not, it was a "Cold, spicy, ginger-ale soup with crab".  It was even still bubbling... but somehow, it was amazing.  It had some sort of Thai spices to it, and very fresh cucumber.  Who would have expected a soup base made of ginger-ale??

I also highly recommend ending with the "Trio of Crème Brulees"; Tahitian Vanilla, Espresso, and Grand Marnier.  Unbelievable!!

We go here as often as possible; it's always amazing and we always mix it up with some old favorites and some new adventures.  If you're in the area, give it a try!